By unanimous vote the St. Martinville City Council Monday approved the sale of just more than one acre of the old Talley property along Bayou Teche to Alcee J. “Chip” Durand Jr., owner of the St. John Restaurant adjacent to the property.
The purchase price was $104,000, its appraised market value.
City officials say the property has no current public purpose.
The sale includes two tracts – the first extends along Bayou Teche on the east side of New Market Street from the end of Madison Street south to a parcel directly across from the restaurant that is already owned by Durand. The parcel contains .383 acres.
The second parcel is a .664-acre tract on the northeast corner of Madison and New Market and includes the old ice factory building. The sale extends Durand’s holdings along the entire western boundary of New Market.
Durand has indicated he plans to open a smaller restaurant along the bayou and use the ice factory as a retail outlet and possible roof top garden to grow fresh vegetables for his restaurant.
The city still owns the large parcel of property along Bayou Teche north of Madison Street and the piece sold to Durand that is being used as a festival ground; and the western one-third of the block bounded by Madison, New Market, Hamilton and Columbus Streets.
In other business, the council:
•Approved the hiring of Cavan Zacharie as a full-time police patrolman and the appointment of Rodney Poirier Jr. and Jessie Charpantier Jr. as volunteer reserve patrolmen. Chief Ricky Martin said he is working to expand his reserve unit which now includes eight officers.
•Along with the Garden Club, honored students who submitted winning entries in the Cleanest City slogan, poster and artwork contests.
•Approved a request by the Notre Dame Sisters in Christ to conduct a Red Light fund drive on Saturday, May 5.
•Approved an intergovernmental agreement with the state DOTD for the agency to continue providing mowing and litter pickup in the city through June 30, 2019.